Porcelain Soldier
by JustLikeChristmas
Summary: A young girl finds herself alone after the Alliance kills her sister in cold blood. They had been on the run their entire lives but never known why. With a little help along the way, Anabeth must travel across the galaxy in search for answers long overdue. She'd never back down from a fight, but is she ready to face the world after going into hiding? (Inspired by the show Firefly)
1. Chapter 1: Lost

(Hello everyone, this is my first-time publishing any of my content. This is absolutely nerve racking for me, but I hope you all enjoy. My story is a fan fiction from the TV show "Firefly", one of my favorite shows in the entire world. Let me know what you think, I will only post the first chapter just so you guys can give me feedback, I'll try and post a chapter every week.)

Chapter 1: Lost

The sound of sirens and enemy fire surrounded the ship, terrorized screams filled her ears as her shipmates and friends are being slaughtered like sick cattle. A bullet wound in her leg makes it almost impossible to run, let alone walk, but she was determined to find her sister before the safety vessels took off.

"ANABETH!" She screams as loud as her lungs will allow, fighting her way through the ships tunnels and corridors, hoping to run into her little sibling. "ANA, WHERE ARE YOU?!" Her cries become more and more desperate, her knowledge of navigating around the ship was like second nature, but during all this chaos her perception is clouded.

BANG… She watches an Alliance soldier fall to the ground and out walks a familiar face. Anabeth looks over at her sister holding her pistol close. "LYRA!" Both begin to cry as they run into each other's arms. "I'm so happy you're alright, where are the others?"

"They're loading up the last safety vessel; I was coming back for you. We don't have much time; the Alliance is closing in on the whole ship." Anabeth begins to help her sister with her leg and they both begin to fight their way to loading docks on the far side of the ship. The last of their crew is waiting for any stragglers before the rest of the enemy finally closes in on them.

"We thought you two wouldn't make it." The captain shouts as he ushers the sisters into the cabin.

BANG… Blindsided by an Alliance Soldier, Lyra falls to the ground. Shots are immediately being fired from Anabeth's pistol as her sister lies helpless on the floor. "DAMN YOU!" exclaims Anabeth as she empties her gun on the soldier who has already died. After dropping her pistol, she quickly rushes to her sister's side.

"Lyra, where are you hit...? Lyra…!" Her sister's gaze could be mistaken as a daydreamer, but it was too late. She was gone. "Sissy…! NO…!" Anger and mourning begin to swell up inside of her stomach but is quickly shaken as the Captain grabs Anabeth and drags her away from her dead sister.

"She's gone Ana, we have to go NOW!" His words cut deep into her mind like a dull knife, her heart can't take it and she began to fight back.

"I can't leave her! LYRA…!" Her pain could be felt by everyone left on the safety vessel. The doors close and they are immediately lifted off into the deep space away from the abandoned ship. Anabeth turns to the Captain and buries her face into his chest as she releases screams and cries of ultimate suffering. All anyone could do at this point is sit and watch her; nothing could help ease the pain. The Captain holds her tightly and lets her fall apart, she had the right to.

"What will we do now, Captain…?" One of the crew members speaks up even though Anabeth is still hysterical. "Those bastards found us and attacked without us even knowing, and now we're all that's left."

"We'll have to lay low, find a distant planet that the Alliance won't suspect us fleeing to. The last thing we need to let them get to Ana…" He looks down at her still sobbing and lightly begins to stroke her hair. "We may have to go separate ways after finding a safe place. This fight isn't over…"

Hours go by and Anabeth has moved to the window of the vessel looking out at the stars, nobody has said much of anything. With a heavy sigh, Anabeth stands up and walks over to the pilot's seat where the Captain is sitting. In the distance, a planet shows itself. The Captain reaches over and begins to prepare for landing. Meanwhile, Anabeth looks down and sees that there isn't any indication of a planet on the map. "Where are we?"

The Captain gives a smile and nods towards the auburn planet. "Sihnon…"

5 years later…

"KICK HIM!"

"SMASH HIS TEETH IN!"

The men in the crowd were almost as violent as the fighters in the ring. Anabeth could hardly hold it in her strength was slowly fading. She had to win this fight; it was the ultimate one on one against the unbeatable Spencer Wilde. She had fought her way up the ranks for this moment, and her legs were buckling under her. But she was winning… for now. It was the first time a woman has entered the fighting world. In the beginning, all the men wouldn't even come to the matches because they thought it was a joke. Little did they know Anabeth's history, all they saw was a little girl in a skimpy dress that lived at the inn run by a bunch of whores… literally.

"You can't beat me, whore…" Spencer spoke lightly but his fists were heavier and harder than steel. His stance was straight and firm, he was a wall. Anabeth just looked at him and spit out her mouth guard, managing to recompose herself. "Oh, so you want more Wilde, let me give it to you freely." Lounging full force at her with his fist held back ready to punch the daylights out of her. SWOOSH… He missed… The crowd laughs at his overreaching attempt at a blow like that, Anabeth moves to the far side of the ring and snickers at him.

"What's the matter, baby. I mean, I know I'm a woman, but you don't have to miss just to make me feel good." Knowing that he's building up the anger for being in a losing fight with a woman made her start to laugh, the men behind her pat her on the back in full support. They would say, "You got this, Anabeth, kick his ass." This validated the fact everyone loved her. "Come on, Spence… If you can manage to hit me just once in the face, I'll forfeit and we can all go home, your move…"

"AHH!" He runs full speed towards her with all that he has left. She readies herself and just as he is inches away her fist finds the perfect place on his jaw. She gave it all she had as well, the crowd watches in complete shock as Spencer Wilde falls backward almost flying, hitting the ground like a falling tree. The referee runs up and checks to see if he's still breathing and he goes from concern to relief. Suddenly, the crowd counts down from five, and when they saw Spencer wasn't getting up, they began to cheer. Anabeth, raising her hands to the sky began to dance around the ring as the men around her laughed and howled at her success. They began chanting her name and some of them even came into the ring to hug her.

The end of the night rolls around and Anabeth travels up to the office to collect her winnings, over 200 Platinum. "You did well, kid. This is the first time anyone has ever beaten that arrogant ass. Maybe this time he'll keep his trap shut about how good he is at the pub." The bank teller was always a kind man to Anabeth, mostly because she worked for Nandi at the inn, which they both had cahoots with each other in the past. He handed her the money that had been saved from the first time she walked in wanting to fight. Anabeth says her thanks and walks out. The streets are mostly empty except for the drunkards that got kicked out of the pubs and the prostitutes looking for some fun. She makes her way down to the inn; Nandi is already waiting for her outside.

"Did you win…?" She looks at Anabeth worried like a mother would a child. All Anabeth could do was hold up the huge pouch of coins and smile. Nandi quickly ran to her, hugging her proudly. "I knew you would! I'm so happy for you…" But she quickly pulls away and begins to inspect Anabeth's face. "Did he get you in the face?" Once she sees no bruising or cuts, she backs off, but she still smiles brightly at her. "Well, come on inside before it gets too cold. Also, there's a man waiting for you in your room."

"But… You know I only work as the barkeep…"

"I know, but he asked for you specifically, he even gave me platinum just to keep quiet... Don't tell him I told you though. Now up those stairs…" While talking Nandi was fixing Anabeth's hair and making sure she "looked the part" as she likes to say sometimes. Anabeth swatted her away once she was done and couldn't help but hide her winnings behind the counter in the safe before going up. A million thoughts ran through her head like a movie reel out of control. She cautiously but gracefully walked up the stairs, and before she reached the door, she made sure her pistol was ready and within her reach. She opened the door like she would any other day and she walked over to her dresser as she began to undress, fully aware of the man standing by the window looking outward she pretended not to notice.

"I heard about that fight you won, Miss Campbell…" his voice was low and stern… but charismatic and almost playful. Anabeth quickly turns around and her pistol is pointing directly at his head as if his voice startled her.

"Who are you…?" Her voice was soft but fierce. She could hear the play in his tone, but she didn't want to. She kept her pistol steady and ready to fire at any second; her aim was not to be underestimated. He quickly put his hands up and turned around to face her. His face was that of an angel, but his eyes spoke a different story. His attire reminded her of what her Captain used to wear back when the rebellion was fresh. She was almost tempted to lower her weapon, but she knew better than that. "How do you know my name?"

"Do you mind putting the gun down? I'm unarmed…" He pulls back his coat and reveals an empty holster. Anabeth puts her gun down and looks over at him. He's smart, but she was clever.

"So, what brings you to Sihnon, and what do you want with me…" Her eyes changed from cautious to playful, she knew how to get into a man's head. She began to walk towards him slowly and she kept her eyes fixed on his. He just looked at her in awe.

"I… was just… passing through, and I remembered a good buddy of mine mentioned you and how good you were…" His voice began to break as she got closer, her hands inching up his torso and he could feel the heat of her body against his.

"So, I guess my name is quite popular…" Her giggle made him get the chills, she had him now. "So, what's your pleasure, I'll do anything you want me to…" Her arms made their way around his midsection, under his coat. His hands rested on her hips like a timid little boy.

"What's a beautiful girl like you doing in a fighting ring…?" Voice still cracking, he doesn't notice her hands moving all over his back and close to his pistol hidden behind him.

"I guess you could say I like it rough…" He looks down at her and sees her eyes staring right at him lustfully. He leans down to meet her lips but is stopped when the barrel of his own pistol is being pointed at his temple. She found his hidden gun and he looks at her blushing. "I thought you said you were unarmed, you lied to me"

"I am a man of my word; I just can't let my enemy know everything I'm packing."

"So, I'm an enemy to you now?"

"That's not what I meant…"

"Sure, I believe you. Just like I believed you when you told me you weren't carrying." She gets him down on his knees and cocks his pistol. He starts to get nervous.

"Alright, I'm a smuggler. I was buddies with your Captain during the rebellion and he told me when he's gone to come find you here on Sihnon!" He took a deep breath afterward and looked up at Anabeth. She wasn't buying it. "I have proof, look…" He holds up a memory disk and he handed it to her. "He sent me that message before he was captured by the Alliance." Anabeth looks at him in disbelief and almost sadness. She takes the disk and inserts it into her call screen on the wall, in seconds the face of her old Captain shows up and she immediately falls back in her seat. The sound of her Captain began to fill her ears.

"Malcolm, if you are receiving this message then I am already dead. I need one last favor from you as you know we rebels look out for each other. You are the only person I would trust with this, and I know you are the best smuggler in the entire galaxy. There is a woman who is of great importance to me; she was once part of my crew before the Alliance attacked us. They were looking for her and her sister. Anabeth is the only one left. I protected her with all I had to make sure the Core didn't find her; I failed her sister and I promised Ana I would put my life on the line for her. If she doesn't believe you, which I know she won't. Show her this message… Ana… If you are watching this, I'm sorry you had to find out this way, but this was the only way to make sure you were safe. I'm so proud of you. I must go now, I love you Anabeth. Goodbye." The transmission cuts off and the screen turns black and all that is left is the reflection of Anabeth in tears. The memory disk pops out of the player and she holds it in her palm.

"How did you find me on Sihnon…?" Her voice cracked as she tried to hold back her tears. Malcolm just stood where he was and grunted.

"I didn't think he would hide you here, but my gut told me to come here anyway. We used this planet to hide from the Alliance when the war broke out…" He chuckled under his breath. "Good times…"

"I just can't believe he's gone… Those bastards, all this just to find me…" She stands up and walks towards the window and looks out into the night. She wipes the tears from her cheeks. "I'm sorry for pulling your gun on you…" A slight chuckle escapes her lips and Malcolm chuckles with her.

"Wouldn't be the first time…" He laughs a little more and he walks over to her slowly. "Now, let's get you off this rock and back into the game…" Anabeth turns towards him and she nods her head. He smiles brightly and he walks off, before leaving the room he turns back and looks at her. "I'll be back in the morning with Jayne to help you… Goodnight Miss Campbell…"

"Please, call me Ana…" She looks back at him and smiles shyly. His face turns red and he nods. She shuts the door behind him. A few seconds go by and she slides to the floor in tears again, the memories of the night she lost her sister began flooding her mind. Now her Captain is dead she has nobody left, her heart was heavy with grief and old wounds reopening. It was like a nightmare that she thought she had buried a long time ago. Anabeth finally gets up to go to her bed and she buries her face in the pillow and cries herself to sleep. Tomorrow will mark the day she finally leaves her hiding spot and faces the world again.


	2. Chapter 2: Found

(Hello everyone, I hope you all are doing well, I'm sorry I haven't been seen in action for what a little over a year?! I've been dealing with a lot and I haven't had any recent inspiration to write. I am trying though, and I've got a lot of excellent material for you guys I just need to go ahead and get it all out! I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter!)

Chapter 2: Found

"IDIOTS! ALL OF THEM!" A man screeches down a long corridor, people jolting out of his furious path as he is clearly in no mood to be bothered. He makes a sharp turn into a large laboratory and the scientists inside all look towards him in fear. He immediately grabs one of them and shoves him up against the wall causing a few glass beakers to fall to the floor, smashing them instantly. "You better give me a good damn reason why I'm standing here Dr. Reid…" The doctor scrambles to find his words and he begins to point at his desk where his computer is.

"General Walsh… Uh…The girl… her genetics match that of her sisters. We don't understand why the projects keep failing, but…"

"But WHAT, Doctor?!" He tightens his grip on the scientist.

"W-We have reason to believe that her sister is the one with what we need for your experiments… Sir… B-But all we have to do is find her…" General Walsh furiously shoves the doctor from his grasp and walks over to the large computer monitor. The screen shows various genetic analysis results. He lowers his head while rubbing his temples slowly.

"So…You're telling me, after all these years of endless money being wasted away… You limp dick pricks have NOTHING?!" He furiously slams his fist on the keyboard, causing Dr. Reid and his assistants to jolt with fear. "We didn't think twice about the other girl because YOU assured us that both girls had the same genes… Now you're telling me after all this time and money WASTED that this one doesn't have what we need?!" He starts to raise his voice, and he swipes his arm through a table full of glass beakers, destroying all the work the doctors had produced. "Do you idiots have any idea how long it would take to find her; it took us 10 just to hunt down one of them!" After a few seconds, his whole demeanor changes and he begins to smile, almost as if he went completely insane. He suddenly walks out of the laboratory. "Continue with your work, I'll find the girl…" His voice bouncing off the walls of the outside corridor before the door slams on its own.

Dr. Reid clears his throat while taking a huge breath of relief. One of his assistants walks over next to him to check if he was injured. "What are we going to do until he finds her…?" He looks down at her whilst shaking his head.

"Hope to God that she's dead before he finds her, we can't stall him any longer than we already have…" He adjusts his glasses as he walks over to a large cylindrical capsule, an unconscious woman floating inside, her body riddled with needles and tubes. Across the glass a white label reads: Test Subject 0498 – CAMPBELL, LYRA.

Anabeth awakes with a fright, her hand already wrapped around her pistol, her other wrapped around her knife. Another nightmare, another sleepless night. She set her weapons down and lies her head back onto her pillow. Looking around at her new surroundings on the firefly, a smile skates across her lips for only a moment as she looks at her calendar. "Happy Birthday to me…" Slowly she rises from her cot, her long brown curly hair tangled and bushy from tossing and turning, she looks at herself in the mirror next to her and shakes her head. "You either need a haircut, or just better hair products…"

"Hey Anabeth! Get up here I want to show you something!" A voice echoes into her empty room, she quickly begins to get her clothes on and haphazardly brushing her hair out to barely manageable.

"What is it?" Her soft voice coming from her room as she climbs out, Jayne is leaning against the wall where the latch to Anabeth's room is. He looks at her smirking and hands her a small box.

"Happy Birthday, girly." He ruffles up her hair and chuckles, all she can do is smile. It had only been a few months she's been on board Serenity; she didn't expect anyone to know about her birthday, let alone receive a present from anyone. She looks up at Jayne's face smiling brightly as she starts to unwrap her present. "I hope you like it…" His eyes stare eagerly at her as she opens the box. Carefully she pulls the bow out of its half-tied appearance, the box top immediately falls off onto the floor and a small porcelain dolls sits at the bottom.

"It's absolutely beautiful Jayne, thank you…" Anabeth wraps an arm around him and chuckles lightly, all Jayne can do is smile that his first gift was a good one. "I'm going to go put it in my room, are we doing anything important today?" She begins to make her decent back down into her room and she looks up at Jayne who is still smiling.

"Oh, I'm not sure yet, I was just on my way to the cargo bay…" He turns his back and starts to walk in the opposite direction, then turns back and looks at Anabeth. "Do you really like it…?" He looks almost worried.

"Jayne, shut up, it's a good gift… Now go before Malcolm has your head." Anabeth giggles as she continues back down into her room. As she shuts the door, she collapses to the floor completely in tears. The box falls on its side as she loses her grip on it as she covers her face trying to control herself. Nobody but Malcolm knew that it was also her sister's birthday…

Everyone else is standing in a circle in the cargo bay as Jayne is walking up to the group with a smile on his face. Malcolm looks at him confusingly and almost concerned. "Everything okay, Jayne?" Jayne snaps out of his trance of happiness and looks up to see the whole crew looking at him weirdly, then he just starts to laugh.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Anabeth liked the gift I got her for her birthday today, I was worried she wouldn't like it." He looks down at his feet bashfully. Malcolm looks away for a second thinking about how horrible she must feel today, then he cracks a smile and asserts his gaze over his team of smugglers. They look to him awaiting potential orders.

"Thank you for bringing that up Jayne. Today is Anabeth's birthday, I hope that everyone here gets a chance to wish her a good day when you see her. Anyways, last night I received a job offer from an anonymous employer. He mentioned a hefty paycheck if we pull this off." His face changed rapidly over the course of his brief speech. Everyone else pays close attention to all the details as he lays down how the operation is required to be carried out. Kaylee raises her hand and then begins to speak.

"Where are we going to pick up this package, did he even say what the package even was?" She then pulls out a small piece of paper. "I have a list of things we'll need; We still have to fix a small piece in the engine." She hands it to Malcolm and he just looks down at the list and nods his head.

"I'll be sure to get these while we're there. We'll be heading over to Sihnon as soon as this huddle is over. Now I know you all know that's where we picked up Ana, she'll be excited to visit her home." Everyone nods her head and Wash starts to leave towards the bird's nest to navigate the ship to their destination. Everyone else disperses to their stations to prepare for the operation. Malcolm turns and makes his way over to Anabeth's room to tell her some good news.

Anabeth is fast asleep in her cot as Malcolm descends into her room. He notices her sleeping and tries to be quiet, looking down on her as he walks up to her bed, he notices the little doll Jayne got for her sitting on the shelf next to her sink. He smiles and kneels to her level and softly begins to stroke her hair. "Hey… wake u- ", He's suddenly pushed over violently on his back and a brief scream from Anabeth as she pulls a knife and holds it up to Malcolm's throat.

"Where is she?!" Her voice loud and stern as her grip on the knife tightens, her eyes filled with anger and desperation. Almost as if she were still dreaming. Malcolm just takes his hands and places them on her wrists and looks up at her in her clouded eyes.

"Ana… It's me, you're okay, just wake up…" His thumb softly strokes the skin on her wrist, and he can already feel her grip begin to loosen. Anabeth blinks a few times and her face begins to cringe and contort as if she's trying to see clearly, she looks down at Malcolm and realizes the situation she's in. "You can relax… It's all okay…" He continues to stroke her skin as she pulls the knife away and she puts it down on the floor beside them.

"I saw her… I could see her on the ground… I couldn't- ", Her words start to trail off and she scoots back up against the edge of her bed and she reaches out as if trying to grab something. "They pulled me off her dead body…" Her fingers begin to run through her hair stressfully and aggressively. All Malcolm could do was sit there on the floor and look at her reliving her pain. He could imagine that every year before he found her, she was struggling to get over the death of her sister. After thinking in his head for a few seconds he looked at her and she just sat there quiet, tears still running down her cheeks. "It should have been me… She should be the one that lived… I don't even understand why we were being chased… Hunted… Did Captain even explain to you why or what they wanted with us…?" She looks up to him with bloodshot eyes. You could tell she was tired of crying but couldn't help herself to stop.

"Ana… All he told me was to protect you, and that's what I intend to do…" He scoots over towards her and wraps his arms around her tightly, practically embracing all her sorrow and grief and trying to comfort her the best way he knew how. "You're a very special person Anabeth, and I won't let anyone get you…" His hand stroking her hair and tightening his arms around her, the small breaths of air escaping her mouth makes him smile, almost laughing. He can feel her body melt into his arms, her head rests more heavily into his chest and she lets out a light sigh.

"Every year I have these nightmares, more vivid and aggressive than the last…" She holds her breath for a second and suddenly lets out a small laugh and looks up at Malcolm. "I will admit you're a lot better to look at than Nandi was…" She laughs a little more and Malcolm lets out a little chuckle, all while stroking her hair. "You must miss her…" He holds his breath trying to lead the conversation into the journey back to Sihnon.

"I do sometimes… She was kind of like a mom to me, she found me in that little town when Captain hid me there all those years ago… She had no idea who I was or what I had going on, I made it a point to make sure that she never found out, she doesn't deserve to be dragged into my problems…" Anabeth gets up and moves over the sink and stares down at her new doll. The brown curly hair resembling her own, a small smile skates across her lips. "I know I haven't been here long, and I don't see myself getting completely comfortable soon yet… But you guys have made it very easy for me to like it here… Especially you, since you know how fucked up my life is…" Her gaze moves over to Malcolm who is now sat on her cot. He looks up and meets her eyes, her smile makes him smile. "That night you found me; I can't help but think we clicked…" She covers her mouth as soon as the words escape her lips and she blushes from embarrassment. She starts to back pedal and try to explain herself but stumbles all over her own words and her cheeks flush out and turn bright red.

All Malcolm can do is lean back and laugh, he almost falls from the bed and he rubs his temple in slight embarrassment as well. He settles down and clears his throat. "I think I know what you're trying to say…" He stands up straightening his clothes and he walks over to Anabeth, she turns her back to the sink and faces him, he gets so close he could almost kiss her. Time feels like it could almost stop in this moment, the air between them still from them both holding their breaths in anticipation of what will happen next. Suddenly she feels his hands trail up the sides of her hips and resting on her shoulder blades. Subtle sighs escape both of their lips and they look into each other's eyes.

"Malcolm… I- ", Her words cut off by the pressure of his lips against hers, then the sudden push of her hands against his chest. She looks up at him almost shocked, but also in a deep smitten trance. Her eyes feel hazy as she tries to compose herself. He takes a step back and his cheeks begin to turn pink. "I… I didn't think you would feel that way either… I thought- ", Her words cut off again by another kiss, but this time with more pressure and passion, she feels his arms wrapping her waist, and she can't help but wrap her arms around the back of his neck. The moments seem to go by slower and slower as they embrace each other. Her back suddenly hits the cold wall behind her and she feels his arms hook under her legs, completely suspending her in the air.

"We clicked…" He rests his forehead against her as they breathe heavily, sharing the moment of intensity and resistance to take it further. A giggle escapes her lips and she begins to nuzzle his nose subtlety. "Hey… I guess I need to tell you… We have a package to pick up today…"

"Just spit it out." She giggles more and her eyes are playful and almost loving as she looks at him. Her fingers run through his thick brown hair and she smiles more.

"The job is on Sihnon…" He immediately holds his breath not knowing what to expect. He can feel the tension in her muscles returning as soon as he mentions her home. She looks up at him and cracks a smile. He starts to smile as well and starts backing away towards the door as she starts to dig through her closet looking for something to wear. "We'll be there soon, I tried to get a hold of Nandi, she wouldn't answer but I don't doubt she's busy with the inn. I'm sure she'll get the message and be so excited to see you after all this time…" He smiles and starts to ascend the ladder out of her room. Anabeth calls up to him smiling.

"I just didn't think I'd be visiting this soon; I'll be up there ready to go soon! Don't leave without me!" The door latches back and she's all alone in her room again, she looks over at the mirror above her sink and she starts putting her hair up. A great big smile skates across her lips. "Some good news, Lyra… Happy Birthday to us…" She giggles lightly and continues getting herself ready to see her friends again, wondering if everything stayed the same or completely changed. Her head filled with memories from the inn and the fights at the arena. So many good memories…

"Ready for landing, Captain!" Wash's voice echoing through the hallways on every speaker in the ship. Everyone is standing in the cargo bay as Anabeth makes her way down the stairs to join them. She makes eye contact with Malcolm and immediately blushes. He shrugs her off as to not spark suspicion between the rest of the crew.

"Alright people remember we don't know who this employer is, this could be dangerous. Everyone got their artillery?" He chuckles as everyone checks their holsters for their weapons. Anabeth sets her hand on top of her pistol and strokes the hammer gently. Suddenly she feels a strong hand on her shoulder, turning to see Jayne beside her smiling.

"You excited?" He notices a smile on her face as the ship begins to land on solid ground. Her heart begins to pound with excitement.

"You have no idea, Jayne. This was my home… God, I can still remember all the faces in that little town… So many good people…" Her head trails off into a reminiscent trance. The ship around them begins to settle down and decompress to the pressure of the atmosphere.

"Remember, we have a job to do and supplies to collect…" Malcolm's voice sounds stern as her presses the release button on the side of the cargo bay doors. The suspension is too much for Anabeth to contain in silence. The doors begin to open slowly and the light from the suns shine into the ship and on the faces of everyone inside.

The little town Anabeth once remembered and loved looked like a whole new world. The buildings were restored and refurbished. Everyone out walking around looked different, spoke different, and even dressed different. It was more modern and less dirty and broken. Malcolm walked out first and was immediately greeted by a group of Alliance soldiers. "Welcome to Sihnon!" A tall general separate from the rest of the group begins his way up the ramp to meet Malcolm with a firm handshake. "We are on duty monitoring the ships that come to and from our city. We'll just need to inspect your ship and make sure you're not harboring any fugitives or illegal weapons." The general looks past Malcolm at the rest of the crew, and he stops his eyes on Anabeth, who is standing a little further from the rest of everyone. She starts to look around the ship and then down at her feet. "Hey, you, you look familiar, what's your name…?" The general begins to walk over to her inspecting her person, suddenly Malcolm steps up and chuckles.

"That's my wife, we just got married a few months ago." Malcolm walks over to Anabeth's side and hugs her around her waist and smiles as the general raises an eyebrow. Anabeth quickly adapts to the situation and plasters on a bright smile.

"Yes, we're newlyweds. My name is now Clara Reynolds. Gosh it's so weird having his last name, we came here because we heard about the extraordinary jeweler here, we've been looking for matching rings for each other with special engraving." Her words seemed to come out effortlessly, she looked over at Malcolm who was impressed with her improvising. The general seems to be uncomfortable as this conversation continues, both Malcolm and Anabeth take the hint and quickly change the subject.

"I can assure you we don't have anything, we're just here to get some supplies and hopefully our rings." Malcolm's voice is stern and polite, but the general shakes his head and waves his hand at his group of soldiers.

"I'm sorry sir, this is just routine, we won't take long I can assure you." His emphasizes the word "assure" as if to almost mock Malcolm. Anabeth snickers under her breath, then the general puts his attention towards Anabeth. He pulls out his device again and pulls a picture of two young women, one of them has an "x" over her image, the other one has the label "missing" under the name. "We've been on the hunt for these two females over the last 15 years; We've apprehended one of them five years ago, however we're still searching for the other one. They're a danger to society and need to be found as soon as possible." Anabeth listens to his words carefully and she can feel her hands shaking with rage. Malcolm tightens his hug to comfort her, then he speaks out.

"I'm sorry, we haven't heard or seen anything about these people. I'm sure you'll find them soon…" He's cut off by a huge crash outside of the Serenity, a group of soldiers begin running towards the scene causing the people of the city to crowd around. The general places the device back into his pocket and makes his way over to the scene. Turning back, he looks at the crew, smiling politely.

"Go on about your business, consider this a free landing on Sihnon, enjoy the rest of your time here. Sorry for any inconvenience." He turns again running towards the now large group of people.

The crew begin to go about their business and prepare a vehicle to collect the package, Malcolm hands Zoe a map to the location of the anonymous employer. "Please be careful, I don't need my crew getting shot at." He smirks at her and she just smiles and nods. She makes her way off the ship with Wash and Jayne. Everyone else goes out into the town to look for supplies. After everyone is gone Malcolm walks back over to Anabeth who is sitting on a cargo box speechless and pale. He kneels to her level and places both hands on top of hers, then she looks up from the ground at him and she opens her mouth to speak but nothing comes out. He begins to softly stroke the skin on her wrist.

"I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through…" His words are soft and calm. Anabeth just looks away and feels her hands begin to shake.

"I recognize him from the ship, all those years ago…" Tears begin to well up in her eyes and she quickly clears her throat and shakes her head of the bad memories, then she looks at Malcolm smiling. "Come on, dear husband. We have rings to purchase…" She stands up and starts to walk off the ramp from the ship and Malcolm follows closely behind, feeling concerned for his fake wife as they walk through the new and improved town. The cargo bay doors close and they both walk through the thick crowd of people.

Off in the distance, the general is standing with his soldiers behind him as they watch the couple maneuver through the town. "General Walsh, now that we've lured them here, what are we going to do about the girl…?" A soldier speaks out in confusion, looking to the general for an answer. The general turns back to his troops and he smiles brightly, almost maniacally.

"All we do is wait… She can't stay by his side forever…" He smiles wider and begins to laugh, he pulls out the image of Anabeth and stares at it for a while. "After 15 years of searching… I've finally found you… You're mine now…"


End file.
